Stephanie Canada, an instructor of education and kinesiology at East Central University, has been selected by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to serve on a committee to make sure the board’s Physical Education Standards reflects the best practices and latest research in the field.
Canada is among 10 National Board Certified Teachers from across the country on the 13-member committee which was chosen from a pool of more than 200 applicants.
Stephanie Canada
“It is an honor to be part of such important and influential work in the field of physical education,” Canada said. “My hope is that every child would have a physical education teacher that meets the standards set forth by NBPTS.”
“Stephanie is a proven leader in physical education with an extraordinary track record of documented expertise when it comes to advancement in this field,” said Joan Auchter, NBPTS chief program officer. “As we work to improve student learning and student achievement throughout the United States, I am pleased that the work of this committee will serve as the foundation for the assessment in the National Board Certification process for physical education.”
Nearly 1,700 teachers nationwide have achieved National Board Certification in the field of physical education.
As part of the national board’s ongoing mission to provide high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, the Physical Education Committee is working to review and revise the current standards that are the basis for National Board Certification in this field. Practicing classroom teachers fill a majority of seats on standards committees, while other members represent districts, states and higher education.
National Board Certification, a voluntary assessment program designed to develop, recognize and retain accomplished teachers, is achieved through a performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, NBCTs have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices.
In December 2010, more than 8,600 teachers and school counselors achieved National Board Certification, bringing the total number of educators certified by NBPTS to more than 91,000.
In the most rigorous and comprehensive study to date about National Board Certification, the non-partisan National Research Council found that students taught by NBCTs make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by other teachers.
For more information about NBPTS and National Board Certification, visit www.nbpts.org.
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